Umbrella frame



May 10, 1949.

w. s. EVANS ET AL UMBRELLA FRAME Filed Aug. 29, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

Patented May 10, 1949 UMBRELLA FRAME Wayne S. Evans and Louis G.Tartaglia, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to S. W. Evans & Son,

Philadelphia, Pa.

Application August 29, 194.6, Serial No. 693,703 4 claims. (01.'135-30)The object of the invention is to provide improvements in umbrella andparasol frames, reference especially being made to the Wireless type offrame, wherein no wires are employed for pivotally securing the innerends of the ribs and stretchers indirectly to the shaft, or directly tothe usual notch and runner mounted thereon, sq as to thereby produce abetter structure at less cost, and at the same time one that is moreeasily repaired, as Well as onein which the breaking of a single hingeelement does not release all of the ribs or stretchers, as hasheretofore usually been the case.

Another and more specific object is to provide in frames of thischaracter, which will hereinafter be referred to by the generic term ofumbrella f rames, annular attaching members for subsequent mounting uponthe umbrella shaft, called notches or runners as the case may be, eachof said members comprising a pair of telescoped, cylindrical elements,provided with a slotted L-shaped ange having circumferentially spacedslots, and the other being provided with an initially conical flangealso having circumferentially spaced slots of the same number andposition as the slots of said iirst iiange, said latter flange when bentinto a plane at right angles to the common axis of said members toenclose an annular space between said members which is Wholly enclosedexcept for said slots, a ring within said space having circumferentiallyspaced recesses in alignment with the pairs of slots in said flanges,and a rib or stretcher end portion ex tending radially into said spacethrough said slots and having trunnions that prevent the escape of saidend from within said recess, said ring taking the radially inward thrustupon said rib or stretcher, while the sides of the rings recessesoperating to prevent lateral shifting or turning or said rib orstretcher other than in a plane coincident with the axis of said notchor runner and the shaft which is surrounded thereby.

With the objects thus briefly set forth, the invention comprises furtherdetails of construction and operation, which are hereinafter fullybrought out in the following description, when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are, respectively, theplan and side elevations'the latter being partially in section, of theinner shell or tubular member of the improved notch or runnerconstruction; Figs. 3 and 4 are corresponding views of the improvedring; Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views of the improved outer shell ortubular telescoping member of said notch or runner; Fig. 7

l '2 is a longitudinal section of the three elements of Figs. 1 to 6 inassembled relation but before the initially conical flange of the innershell or tubu lar member is flattened against the intervening ring; Fig.8 is similar;y to Fig. 'l but showing the end portion of a rib orstretcher in operative po-` sition and the last-mentioned flangeflattened in final position; Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the assemblyshown in Fig. 8 partially broken away; and Fig. 10 is a plan of a ringthat is modified to the extent of having'more peripheral recesses thanthe ring shown'in Figs. 3 and 9.

Referring to the drawings, it is to be understood that thestructureshown in the drawings represents either a notch .or runner, forwhile the proportion of its length to its diameter is that of a notch,the only diierence between it and a runner to which the invention'isapplied is in its length and incorporation of any suitable means foryieldingly maintaining such runner in a given position upon the usualshaft. Accordingly, the alternative term notch or runner will be used todesignate the fact that the invention is equally Well adapted to each ofthem, and for want of a generic term.

The inner shell, as shown per se in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises acylindrical portion I, having circumferentially spaced lugs or ears 2,initially extending from it in che longitudinal direction. In theopposite direction there initially extends a diagonally outwardlydirected flange 3, having a series of circumferentially spaced, radiallyextending slots 4, which are ten in number for a ten-rib umbrella, orsixteen in number for a sixteen-rib umbrella, though only arepresentative eight slots are shown for purposes of illustration.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shownr a plane ring 5 having a central aperture 6 ofsufficient size to re- -ceive the outer'diameter of the cylindricalportion of the inner ring. -Theouter periphery of this ring is broken by1a series of equally spaced, preferably rectangular recessesor cut-outs1, each of which has a radiallyinwardly projecting, .preferablyrectangular central extension 8 of less Width than thel major outerportion of the cutout.

The size and shapev of these. recessed cut-outs lsubstantially conformtotheishape of the radially inner end portionsof ftheribs and stretcher-s9 of an umbrella frame, each of which latter in the improved inventioncomprises a iiattened portion l0, from the laterally opposite sides ofwhich extend the ends ll' of a pin or rivet, which serve as trunnionsabout which the rib or stretcher oscillates angularly.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, it will be seen that the extreme end of theflattened portion IU of the rib or stretcher is positioned in the innercutout extension 8, when the umbrella frame is in open or extendedposition, While at the same time the trunnions lilarepositioned Tin 'theylaterally opposite ^portions ia Kof the recess -l.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown the improved outer shell, which comprises acylindrical portion l2 of such internal diameter as to slidably receivetelescopically the corresponding portion I of said inner shell, afterwhich the ings for rears 2 vare deflected radially outwardly (Figs. '7'and B) to prevent accidental separation of said shells followingassembly. The opposite ,end of said-outer shell merges into a planularsection I3, which thence terminates in a .cylindrical extension i4, theouter diameter of which is substantially equal 'to that 4oi' ithe flangeL3 of the inner shell when the latter is flattened into Lits lnal Iform(Figs. 8fand9`).

r'Circumferentially .spaced :slots d'5 extend innwardly :from the 4outerfree :edge of said ilanges I-:3 and 2|'4 to a :depth havingsubstantially the same ,diameter as that 'of 'the 'inner ends of thevslots 4 in athenange 3 of said .innershell (Figs. 7 and 8). .Also it`will .be noted as an essential condit`ionof theinvention, that .theaxes of the inner :and outer rshe'lhslots f4 Aand `fl 5 zand theintervening ring cutouts HAB :must be in alignment, in order -toliprclvide for :and 4insure :free oscillation fof the .ribs :or'stretchers lpositioned therein.

Referring to iFig. 10., there is shown a slightly f :modified form ofring 126, having `an 'axial bore 11, vcorresponding to Ithe bore 6 yinthe ring 5, and outwardly directed, circumferentially spaced cutouts i8,which construction is primarily designed for use in-astandardsixteen-ribumbrella frame, or lone -of suiiiciently ymore ribs :than can :beprovided for -by the construction shown .in Figs. 1-9. :In -this case,ythe -end `of .the rib or .stretcher alone enters a cutout 1.8 and ndsthere what maybe termed a thrust-bearing, While the .trunnions of therib or stretcher .ride or oscillate upon the peripheralsurface I9 of.said ring, upon "the .opposite sides of the particular vcutout intowhich the end .of the rib or stretcher extends.

By either o'f .these arrangements, `.the inal assembly "df the twoshells, .ring Aand .rib or stretcher is maintained, withoutthe'slightest tendency of either-ofthe il'anges "3 and 14 to be deflectedaway -from their respectivel loperative positions, whileyinfgenera-lamore rigid and resultingly permanent `'structure isinsured.

#Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. :In an xumbrella frame, a `notch or runner construction comprising aninner shell having a -.cylindrical .portion Aand a radially slottedplane llange, an outer shell comprising la vcylindrical portion intelescopic relation to the corresponding portion .of said `inner shelland `also `a plane flange having a cylindrical extension, 'said `last.mentioned iiange and its yextension Ybeing provided with spaced slotsin registry with the slots of saidfinnerrshell'ange, .the .flanges 'ofsaid shells deningan .annular .space 'between .them, and a ring lwithinsaid space lhaving cutouts aligned with said slots, the sides of saidcutouts functioning as thrust bearings for a rib or stretcher extendingthrough said slots into said annular space.

2. In an umbrella frame, a notch or runner construction comprising aninner shell having a cylindrical portion and a radially slotted planeflange, 'an outer shell comprising :a cylindrical portion in ytelescopicrelation to i'the l'corresponding portion of said inner shell and also aplane `flange having a cylindrical extension, said lastmentioned flangeand its extension being provided with spaced slots in registry with theslots ofsaid inner shell iiange, the ilanges of said shells defini-ng anannular space between them, and a ring Jwithin said space having cutoutsaligned with said slots-each cutout having a central eX- tension, incombination with a rib or stretcher extending through said slots intosaid annular space and carrying oppositely projecting trunnions, theendof said rib or stretcher extending into said central y'cutout 'extensionVwhile said trunnions .engage the walls of said cutout upon ntheopposite sides `ofsaid extension.

'3. In .an .umbrella frame, a notch or runner `comprising .thecombination of a pair of telescopic 'members .enclosing an annular spaceand having .circumferentially :s p a c e d apertures `vthroughwhich'theend'porticns of ribs or stretch- .ers extend into said space,each of said ribs or `stretchers .being provided with oppositely extend-:ing trunnions, which prevent said end portions from being freelywithdrawn from Within said .annular space, and 'an annular ring withinsaid space provided `with .cutouts to slidably receive the ends :of saidribs or 'stretchers and prevent ,them v.from shifting angularly in theplane in .which said :trunnions extend.

`4. =In an umbrella frame, a notch or runner vcomprising the.combination `of -a pair of telescopic members yenclosing yan annularspace and .having circumferentially spaced .slots through 4whichextendthe `endportions of ribs or stretchers, each `ofsaid `ribs or'stretchers being provided with oppositely extending trunnions, whichprevent said end portions from being freely withfdrawn f-rom (withinsaid annular space, and an vannular ring within said space provided withcircumferentiallyspaced cutouts -to receive the end :portions sor-said.ribs or stretchers and rsaid trunnions, and .eachcutout having aradially inward extension to .receive the rend only of rsaid rib or.stretched .beyondsa'id trunnions, 'said inward extension being'operative to prevent `angular shifting of .said ribor stretcher intheplane 4in which lie said trunnions, :andthe widened Louter portions .oisaid :cutouts being `operative `as bearings for .said *trunnions,

WAYNE S. EVANS. LOUIS TARTAGLIA.

.REFERENCES CITED r'The following references are o'f record .in the iile0i this rpatent:

UNITED SILAIES .PATENTS Number Name Date 476,364 Collins June?, 1892554,313 Sabin Feb. .11, 1896 "770;70'4 Vogel Sept. 20,1904

